


The Mantra of Good Works

by RocBaroque



Series: The Mantras of Will and Matter [2]
Category: Destiny (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, Space Religion, Ulan-Tan's Thesis, zen and the art of pulse rifle maintenance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-04
Updated: 2015-02-04
Packaged: 2018-03-10 11:58:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3289523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RocBaroque/pseuds/RocBaroque
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>His coming and going was spread through the rumor-language of children, and he gathered about him a school in the streets.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Mantra of Good Works

In the depths of the Last City, where the buildings have grown so tall they bow and touch heads, the poorest people have come together to help each other's troubles. Surely, you have seen the dark-towns of the poor, as they have grown more numerous in this time of great suffering.

The Mendicant of the Last City, Gou-12, had no desire to call himself a master, nor to gather disciples, nor to dedicate himself to a campus. Instead, he carried his heavy personal transmat through the narrow streets, programming matter into toys, new clothes, and small baubles. These he gave to the children, in exchange for an answer to his riddles, knowledge he didn't have, or sometimes no thing at all. His coming and going was spread through the rumor-language of children, and he gathered about him a school in the streets.

Whenever he was approached by another adherent to Ulan-Tan's Thesis, he would say to them, "Give me one Glimmer." When they asked him to come to the campus and teach, he would again say, "Give me one Glimmer." 

A human master of the Thesis found him in the dark-towns one day, telling fables to the children. She could sense the Light of a master within him, and wished to know him more. When he was done with his play-work, she gave him a piece of Glimmer and asked the Mendicant, "What is the intent of Light?"

Silently, Gou-12 dropped his heavy transmat on the street.

"Then," she asked, "what is the reality of Light?"

At once, he picked up his transmat as though it weighed nothing, and continued on his way.


End file.
